Bay Nut Mole Negro

Most mole recipes leave me feeling overwhelmed and in a too-many-ingredients comatose. This one, although it does take about 2 hours to prepare, it a lot more approachable and some of that time is inactive, which means you can spend it on your other side dishes. Yes, this recipe is likely not as complex as others you may find, but even just with two chiles and some other key ingredients, you can create a delicious and robust mole negro. 

“As bay nuts do not contain sugar or cinnamon, I added a little of each. If you don’t have bay nuts, replace them with mexican chocolate (such as Ibarra) and skip the brown sugar and cinnamon. ”

Also unique to this mole is that instead of the traditional chocolate, I chose to use bay nuts. Bay nuts are a foraged find from the bay laurel tree (more on bay nuts and foraging here). The bay nut is a member of the avocado family that, when roasted, becomes akin to a combination of chocolate and coffee - ideal for mole. Recipe serves 6.

• 2.5 pounds skinless chicken thighs and/or legs

• ~1-2 teaspoons salt

• 2 tablespoons grapeseed (or other neutral flavored oil), divided

• 1.5 cups low sodium chicken broth

• Juice and zest from 2 blood oranges

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup almonds, chopped

• 3 large garlic cloves, diced

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds

• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds

• 1.5 ounces dried pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into strips

• 0.5 ounces dried negro chiles, stemmed, seeded, torn into strips

• 3 prunes, chopped

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 2 ounces roasted bay nuts, chopped (mexican chocolate can be substituted for bay nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon)

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• Chopped fresh cilantro, queso fresco, avocado, and corn tortillas (to serve)

Rub chicken all over with salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large pot (I use my large Le Creuset pot) over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. 

Add broth, blood orange juice, and cinnamon sticks then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until chicken is tender and just cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until softened and beginning to caramelize, about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add almonds, cumin, coriander, and chiles. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook while stirring until chiles soften, about 4 minutes.

Using tongs, transfer chicken from pot to large bowl. Pour chicken cooking liquid into saucepan with onion-chile mixture (reserve pot). Add blood orange zest, prunes, oregano, bay nuts, and brown sugar to saucepan. Cover and simmer until chiles are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and discard.

Transfer sauce mixture to food processor or blender and purée until smooth; return to reserved pot. Season sauce to taste with salt. Coarsely shred chicken and return to sauce; stir to coat and re-heat chicken. 

Serve topped with cilantro springs, avocado, corn tortillas, and queso fresco (if desired).

Pair with: Vinegary red cabbage slaw (the vinegar is a great contrast to the dark, rich mole), roasted delicata or butternut squash.

olive oil chocolate mousse

The first time I made this dairy-free chocolate mousse recipe adapted from What Einstein Told His Cook I had my doubts. Chocolate mousse without heavy whipping cream? Why bother. However, the final product did not disappoint - the whipped egg white proteins provided a delicate fluffy web that encased the rich egg yolk, chocolate, and olive oil. My twist was the addition of ground cardamom pods to put a Middle Eastern spin on a classically French dessert to help meld with the olive oil flavors and provide a bit more complexity and brightness. I also added a dollop of whipped cream (blerg, there goes the "dairy free" part, but you don't have to use it), a sprig of chocolate mint, grated dark chocolate, and a bit of coarse sea salt. The result was amazing - really, one of those desserts that people keep talking about. I will definitely be making this again. Serves 4 (servings aren't large, but are generous given how rich the dessert is).

• 4 oz very good dark chocolate (the darker the better), finely chopped

• 7-9 cardamom pods, seeds removed and ground with mortar and pestle or finely chopped (optional)

• 2 eggs, divided

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons very strong coffee at room temperature

• 1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional)

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• About 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

• Whipped cream, fresh mint or chocolate mint, and grated chocolate, for garnish (optional)

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring occasionally. Mix in cardamom and set aside to cool while preparing the egg mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and powdered sugar until pale yellow and fluffy (about 1 minute). Whisk in the coffee and Cointreau (optional) to combine then stir in the melted chocolate. Add olive oil and mix well.

In another medium bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric beater until stiff peaks have formed (stage III). Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture with a whisk until all patches of white disappear then fold in the remaining egg whites using a rubber spatula just until combined. Do not overmix.

Transfer mousse to individual serving cups and refrigerate until well-chilled, at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve with whipped cream and optional fresh mint leaves and grated chocolate.

Bay Nuts

Here’s the deal: everyone likes coffee and chocolate. Okay, so that may not be entirely true, but who are we kidding? I probably don’t want to associate with those individuals anyway.

For those of us with *good* taste, the knowledge that there is a local edible easily foraged that, when roasted, produces a flavor that can be likened to a combination of coffee and (bitter) chocolate is mind blowing. 

Where to find them: From the West Coast/California bay laurel tree, Umbellularia californica. This may sound obvious, but the bay tree does not always have nuts - the nuts appear from October - December, or even as early as September in Central California or when it's an especially hot year. Also, some years are better than others and some produce only a small amount of nuts - just because you don't find nuts on a tree one year doesn't mean they won't be there the next!

The bay tree leaves can (and should? why buy?) be used as you would use bay leaves purchased from the grocery store, but are very strong, with a ratio of 3:1 (tree bay leaf: store bought bay leaf).

The nut itself is a close relative of the avocado (Lauraceae family) and it looks like an avocado pit with a thin layer of flesh. The flesh goes from a bright green (unripe) to purple (ripe) and is technically edible, but rots very quickly. You'll know it's rotten when the outside is a goopy, gross, mess “this-will-make-you-sick” texture. The real treat is when you roast the nut itself on the inside of the flesh. Before roasting, or if not roasted properly, the nut is extremely bitter and astringent, similar to acorns and olives before they are cured. You will NOT want to eat the nut before roasting. 

To roast the nut: 

1. Peel off that goopy exterior. Sometimes you can find the nuts by their lonesome, in which case, score! Less to do. Sometimes, you peel them and they look fine. Othertimes, you peel them and they look gross/moldy - throw these ones out.

2. Wash the nuts - remove any excess goop.

3. Dry the nuts. I have seen directions indicating that the nuts need to be dried then stored for 1-2 years, but I don't have the patience for that and in my experience it just takes a few weeks in the dry climate of the Bay Area to remove the moisture. To dry, lay them out to open air until the water evaporates then store in paper bags or other breathable containers (an open bowl or jar) in the dark.

4. Roast the nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer at 350 degrees F. This usually takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, but you’ll know they’re done when the insides look brown/black (some will crack open to reveal this). Some recipes call for 450 degrees F for 45 minutes - I previously said that either way works, but have heard that 450 makes them too toasty too fast. Up to you, but I would check them every 20 minutes or so.

5. Crack open the shells with a nut cracker (teeth also work, but everyone cringes when I do that) and eat the nuts as you choose. They have a slightly bitter taste, but for those that like super dark chocolate, it’s delicious. Note that bay nuts possess a mildly stimulating effect, similar to caffeine.

Suggested uses (so far, I’m still experimenting):

1. One their own (haven’t made them covered in chocolate yet, but I’m sure this would be decadent and plan to do so). Pairing with whiskey is awesome.

2. Bay nut mole - substitute chocolate for bay nuts. Don’t look back.

3. Bay nut ricotta cheesecake - I have done this twice now and the recipe is lovely.

4. Bay nut brittle

5. Bay nut hot cocoa?

6. Bay nut chocolate bars - working with the Culinary Institute to make this happen, but I know that Madre Chocolate has done it in the past!

Dark Chocolate and Cardamom Truffles

Valentine's Day is just around the corner - forget the store bought, everyone would prefer homemade confections! This recipe very easy recipe is also reliable and adaptable, but it does take patience. I’ve also made variations with raspberry jam, orange marmalade, rum/coconut, and black pepper.

• 8oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (go high quality, you won’t regret it), very finely diced or shaved

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1-2 Tbs brandy

• 1 tablespoon medium grind coffee

• Sea salt, for sprinkling

• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Place diced chocolate into a large heatproof bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour over chocolate in bowl. Stir in brandy and coffee. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 10 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let stand until thick, about 15 minutes.

Pour chocolate mixture into a shallow 8-inch dish or pie plate and sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until mixture is very cold and set but still pliable, about 30 minutes.

Using a teaspoon or a 1/2-inch melon baller, scoop balls of chocolate mixture, transferring them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you work. Refrigerate truffles 10 minutes.

Using hands dusted with cocoa powder, dip each truffle in cocoa powder to coat, then quickly shape truffle into a rough round. Refrigerate truffles in an airtight container until ready to serve, up to 2 weeks; before serving, reshape into rounds, and roll each truffle in cocoa powder, if desired.